White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) Successfully Holds Virtual Events to Commemorate AAPI Heritage Month
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The map above shows the proportion of Asian Americans (alone or in combination) in each county in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico according to the official results of the 2020 United States Census. The data can be found here. This file should next be updated when the 2021 Vintage Racial and Ethnic Population Estimates are released on the county level, currently expected to occur in June 2022., Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asian_Americans_by_county.png (Attribution: Abbasi786786, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en, Presented at: WindermereSun.com)
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May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It’s been 43 years since the first proclamation of an AAPI heritage celebration in the U.S. Grace Pai, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Chicago, joined CBS News to talk about the history of AAPI Heritage Month and efforts to expand the teaching of Asian American history, in the video “Understanding the history of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month“, below:
CBS 8’s Marcella Lee shares her personal connection to the celebration, in the video published on May 3, 2022, “The History of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month“, below:
Just received this message, in italics, below:
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao, Co-Chairs of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, were the keynote speakers at virtual events to commemorate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month 2020 hosted by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI).
“During these challenging times, it is more important than ever to celebrate the achievements- and reflect upon the contributions- that Asian Pacific Americans have made to our country. The pandemic has impacted all Americans, but the Asian Pacific American community has been especially hard hit,” Secretary Chao said. “By working together, we can help ensure that the Asian American and Pacific Islander community is served, protected and recognized for its many accomplishments and contributions to our country.”
Secretary Chao began the week-long program of events with opening remarks on Monday, May 11th. She was followed by A Conversation on AAPIs in Leadership, which brought together AAPI leaders from both the private and public sectors to discuss the advancements of AAPIs into leadership positions. The speakers also highlighted the work that each of their organizations is doing to support the AAPI community through the current challenges of the pandemic.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) participated in an informative panel discussion titled Doing Business with the Federal Government on Tuesday, May 12th. SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza provided updates on disaster relief funds available through the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program and provided information on federal resources for small business owners.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Patrick Pizzella and Acting Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Michael Rigas participated in a Wednesday, May 13th segment focused on workforce development, which was followed by a panel discussion on Advancing AAPIs in the Federal Government. Representatives from the Labor Department and the Office of Personnel Management were joined by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) and the Asian American Government Executive Network (AAGEN).
The week’s events concluded with the annual National AAPI Business Summit, co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Minority Business Development Agency. Secretary Wilbur Ross provided the keynote address and senior officials from the Department shared resources and insights from the federal government as it relates to the current challenges facing AAPI-owned businesses.
“The entrepreneurial spirit of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community will lead to new innovations that will save lives, capitalize on market opportunities, and return our country to prosperity,” said Secretary Ross. “The Asian American and Pacific Islander community contributes every day to making America a caring, and exceptional nation. And, through the CARES Act, the Department of Commerce is doing everything it can to ensure that AAPI community businesses remain viable during this global health emergency.”
Through these virtual events, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) presented resources from the federal government available to the AAPI community in addition to encouraging and uplifting remarks from some of the most senior officials in the Trump Administration. Throughout the week, we were also joined by Commissioners from the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs including Commissioners Michelle Steel, Jan-Ie Low, Grace Lee, Prem Parameswaren, Helen Van Etten, and Chair of the Commission, Dr. Paul Hsu.
President Trump established the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs (PAC-AAPIs) in May 2019 to empower Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to improve the quality of their lives, raise the standard of living for their families and communities, and more fully participate in our nation’s economy. In proclaiming May 2020 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the President said, “we recognize the more than 20 million Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who make irreplaceable contributions to our Nation’s economy, security, and culture. We are especially grateful for those who have served and are currently serving in our Armed Forces, and those serving their communities as first responders. Together, we will continue to live out the promise of our founding and build a better future for all Americans.”
Events were recorded and are available for viewing at www.mbda.gov/aapihm2020.
To get to know who Secretary Elaine Chao is, please view this video published on April 8, 2022, “Fireside Chat: Transportation and Innovation with Secretary Elaine Chao|Corcordia Lexington Summit“, below:
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May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we’re paying special tribute to trailblazers who have made a significant contribution to Asian American communities, especially in Queens, New York. One of them is a local philanthropist who is helping to create CUNY Queen’s College first contemporary school of art; Plus we feature Queens artist Haksul Lee who’s turning green energy into modern art; Asian American Writers’ Workshop celebrates 30th Anniversary; Author Ly Tran’s critically acclaimed memoir “House of Sticks,” and a special report on the state of public safety for Asian American women and what you can do to protect yourself. Guests: Steve Chen – President, Crystal Windows & Doors Systems Johnson Chen – General Manager, Tempco Glass Fabrication Frank H. Wu – President, Queens College, City University of New York Maria Yip Lord – Self Defense Student, Krav Maga Brooklyn Sung Yeon Choimorrow – Executive Director, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum Jennifer H. Wu – Attorney, Paul, Weiss LLP Bino Realuyo – Novelist and Poet Co-Founder, Asian American Writers’ Workshop Marie Myung-Okay Lee – Author of “Finding My Voice” Co-Founder, Asian American Writers’ Workshop Nancy A. Bulalacao-Leung – Former Director, Asian American Writers’ Workshop Jaffreen Uddin – Executive Director, Asian American Writers’ Workshop Ly Tran – Author “House of Sticks” Hak Sul Lee – Artist Steve Chen, in the video published on May 5, 2022, “May 2022 Aspecial |Asian American Life“, below:
In May, WORLD Channel celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month through the many voices of the Asian diaspora. What the stories tell you is that the community is diverse, vibrant and strong, and will continue to make positive change in this country together. For more: https://worldchannel.org/press/articl… 5/3 Asian American Stories of Resilience and Beyond – Tuesdays on YouTube 5/19 Geographies of Kinship | America ReFramed 5/23 A Tale of Three Chinatowns | Local, USA 5/23 Asian Voices | Stories from the Stage 5/26 Chinatown Rising, in the video published on April 21, 2022, “AAPI Stories |May 2022|WORLD Channel”, below:
In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, join us in a celebration Asian American and Pacific Islanders, their culture and traditions, and their contributions to our society! In the video published on May 26, 2021, “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month“, below:
May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, and we’ve got a reel full of celebration. Travel from Hawaii to New York City to meet a hula champion living out a childhood dream, a rapper challenging stereotypes, and performers keeping a Tang Dynasty-era tradition alive, in the video published on May 16, 2018, “Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month With Us“, below:
Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage month from Disney Channel! In the video published on May 7, 2019, “Asian Pacific American Heritage Month| Disney Channel“, below:
“Chinese are not the same as Japanese, are not the same as Koreans, Filipinos, or Thai, or Indians…” We talked with people from a variety of Asian cultures about how they think the world sees them. How does the world see YOU? Do you feel defined by your skin color, gender, or maybe even your religion? In the video published on Oct 31, 2016, “ASIAN|How You See Me“, below:
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